IT was a happy case of déjà vu for producer John Bannon, who landed Wednesday’s valuable three-year-old event horse class for the second year in succession. This time around he produced the goods with an impressive gelding by Vivant Van de Heffinck, who having headed the first session progressed to narrowly pip Padraig Howley’s elegant colt Sligo Cavalier Candy.

While back-to-back wins are a feat in themselves, it was even more incredible to learn that Bannon had followed the exactly same circuitous route to the final as he had done 12 months ago. Always an astute buyer, the Dunshaughlin-based auctioneer and event horse producer had initially spotted the tall bay gelding at the first of the qualifiers in Co Kilkenny, and although he failed to qualify on that occasion, Bannon negotiated a deal with Charleville vendor John Lynch. Within days, the gelding had secured his golden ticket at Newcastle West and the rest as they say is history.

“I was told I wouldn’t be able to do it again,” joked Bannon afterwards. “But I knew he was a nice horse, and coming here I thought he would be in the top five. He’s already broken and riding, so we’ll turn him away now, with the idea of producing him under saddle next year.”

Happy breeder

Watching keenly from the sidelines, and the delighted recipient of the €1,500 breeder’s prize, Jim Seymour revealed he had sold the gelding to Lynch as a foal. Nenagh-based Seymour, together with his son Paul, have bred numerous successful jumpers and event horses and this one, who is out of well related Paddys Aldatus (Adatus Z), is the latest of the fourth equine generation bred by the Seymour family. With a solid jumping pedigree, Paddys Aldatus is a full-sister to KEC Pyjama Party, while the second dam Paddys Baby competed to 1.45m level with Mark O’Sullivan.

“The winner looked blood, had a big stride and a very good brain,” commented judge and former British international event rider JP Sheffield. “He jumped nicely without being over the top, and took the whole thing in his stride.”

As a former assessor of the ridden classes at the venue, Sheffield was impressed with the three-year-old class as well as the concept. “It’s a great idea, and while some went a bit green on the night, there were a lot of nice horses who will event to a decent level. Overall however, I perhaps felt that there were probably only five or six that were real four- and five-star types.”

Narrow margin

Winner aside, others singled out for praise included Padraig Howley’s second-placed Sligo Cavalier Candy by Sligo Candy Boy. With a future as a stallion ahead of him, and already with foals on the ground, this Mary and Eileen Murphy-bred colt is out of HHS Miss Cavalier (Cavalier Royale) who’s maternal line features the thoroughbred Kings Best.

Promoted from third following the morning’s presentation session and eventually just 0.5 adrift of the winner, this attractive sort impressed Sheffield to be awarded the top jumping marks. “He did put in a couple of cheeky stops and was green, but as a type he was one I really liked,” added the Leicestershire man.

While there was a deficit of four marks between second and third, Carolyn Greene’s Edentrillick Casandro by Jorado was another to stand out for Sheffield. “He went a bit green in the jumping, but he really impressed me and was a lovely sort,” he remarked afterwards. Bred by Greene’s daughter Hannah, the gelding headed his qualifier at Kernans Equestrian Centre, and is the second foal out of the Mike Hayde-bred Edentrillick Baylief Cassino by Cassino.

With a generous winner’s pot of €5,000 and monetary rewards for all 17 qualifiers, this class has evolved into one of the most coveted in the Dublin schedule. Run over two sessions, the first of which focuses on conformation and movement, up to 50 marks are then carried over to the jumping phase in the international warm-up arena later in the evening.

Here the remaining 100 marks are divided into sectors for technique, canter, reflexes, standard of training and potential, and although flexible at times horses had six opportunities to impress.

Such was the standard, Sheffield awarded a close range of marks in the first session, but he used the full gamut in the second.

As a result, some positions changed slightly, but picking up a strong jumping mark to retain his original fourth place was Gemma Phelan’s Moneybrook Early Morn by Pilothargo TN.

It is also good to record, and a positive indication of the class’ worth, that Bannon and his 2022 winning filly Take Your Chance impressed the judges at Tattersalls recently, and having secured their coveted Burghley young event horse championship ticket, will contend the finals in Lincolnshire next month.